Potential Toxic Effects of Airport Runoff Water Samples on the Environment

Despite the positive aspects of the intensive development of aviation, airports are considered large-scale polluters. Pollution caused by runoff water (stormwater) is one of the major problems related to airport operations. The aim of this study was to characterize the potential toxic impact on aquatic life from runoff water discharges from four international airports in Europe. Samples of stormwater were collected at airports with different capacities of passenger movement in four seasons of the year from 2011 to 2013. Within the ecotoxicological analyses, a battery of biotests incorporating organisms of different trophic levels (Microtox® test, Thamnotoxkit F™) were used. A relatively high number of runoff water samples collected at the investigated airports in Europe was recorded as having very high acute hazard (16.8%), acute hazard (27.7%), and slight acute hazard (18.1%) levels. The results of the research indicate that winter and autumn present a greater toxic threat than the rest of the year. The highest number of toxic samples was observed for samples collected in the de-icing area, the runway and the vicinity of airport terminals. The ecotoxicological assessment applied in this research can be used as a tool for assessing the environmental effect of airports

Sea spray as a secondary source of chlorinated persistent organic pollutants? - Conclusions from a comparison of seven fresh snowfall events in 2019 and 2021

International audienceSecondary sources of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) gain in importance worldwide as primary sources decline. In this work, we aim to determine whether sea spray may be a secondary source of chlorinated POPs to the terrestrial Arctic, since a similar mechanism was proposed there only for the more water-soluble POPs. To this end, we have determined polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides concentrations in fresh snow and seawater collected in the vicinity of the Polish Polar Station in Hornsund in two sampling periods covering spring 2019 and 2021. To support our interpretations, we include also metal and metalloid, and stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes analysis in those samples. A significant correlation was found between the concentrations of POPs and the distance from the sea at the sampling point, yet the confirmation of sea spray impact lies more in capturing an event with negligible long-range transport influence where the detected chlorinated POPs (Cl-POPs) matched in composition the compounds enriched in the sea surface microlayer, which is both a source of sea spray and a seawater microenvironment rich in hydrophobic substances